As Reuters reports, Russian troops have achieved some success in the front-line town of Bakhmut, Ukrainian military officials said on Wednesday evening.

Ukrainian soldier on the Bakhmut frontPhoto: LIBKOS / AP / Profimedia

The mining town of Bakhmut and surrounding towns in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk have been the focus of attack for much of Russia’s 13-month invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Neither side has full control of the situation yet, and both are suffering heavy losses.

“The enemy forces achieved some success in storming the city of Bakhmut,” says the regular night summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “Our defenders hold the city and repel numerous enemy attacks.”

The average daily number of Russian attacks on the front line, according to the General Staff of Ukraine, fell for four consecutive weeks since the beginning of March to 69 in the past seven days, from 124 in the week of March 1-7. On Wednesday, only 57 attacks were reported.

Reuters reporters near the front line west of Bakhmut and further north also reported a marked decrease in the intensity of Russian attacks last week. Russian officials say their troops continue to gain ground in street fighting in the city.

This week, Britain’s Ministry of Defense described progress by Russian forces as “negligible,” and on Wednesday, US General Mark Milley told lawmakers: “The Russians have not made any progress in and around Bakhmut in the last 20-21 days.”

Ukraine advanced behind the front line

The Ukrainian military on Wednesday struck a railway depot and cut off electricity in the Russian-occupied southern city of Melitopol, behind the front line.

Unverified images online show explosions lighting up the night sky in Melitopol, the base of the Russian-controlled administration in Zaporizhzhia, one of five Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have annexed.

What Moscow called a “special military operation” to contain the threat to its own security killed thousands of soldiers on both sides, tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and millions of displaced people. The invasion also shook the world economy and disrupted international relations.

Britain, the United States and Ukraine’s European allies have provided arms and money to the government in Kyiv, describing the invasion as an imperial-style Russian takeover of territory.

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